Friday January 4th, 2013

Posted at 1:00pm

Mental Health Awareness Week 2013 at the University of Windsor runs from Monday January 14th to Friday January 18th and features several events on campus to raise awareness with this years theme being Opening Eyes – Opening Minds.

This year’s keynote speaker on the Monday will be Michael Landsberg with the theme of Darkness and Hope: Depression, Sports and Me.

Michael Landsberg is the charismatic and outspoken host of TSN’s Off the Record—and from watching his show, you’d never guess that he has been battling mental illness and depression for most of his life. Lifting the stigma from this topic, Landsberg delivers a powerful and personal keynote on the dangerously misunderstood issues of depression and mental health. Depression can affect even the most successful of athletes—from Clara Hughes, one of the great amateur athletes in Canada, to four-time Word Series winner Darryl Strawberry. Landsberg shares the story of his own battle with mental illness, as well as the unexplored stories of some of the world’s most recognizable sports figures, to show us that recovery, strength and hope are possible in some of our darkest times.

Michael Landsberg began his career as an anchor on TSN’s flagship show, SportsCentre, where he became one of Canada’s most trusted sports voices. In addition to being an excellent host, he also is a man of the community, organizing and hosting dozens of charity events each year. Most recently, he’s been featured in the new CTV documentary Darkness and Hope: Depression, Sports and Me.

This event is open and free to all and takes place at the St. Denis Centre at 8pm with doors opening at 7:30.

Other events for the week are local authors discussing a variety of issues including eating disorders, anxiety, and more, a music, mood and food event in the CAW Centre, free fitness classes all week, a Health Fair, plays dealing with mental health issues, and much more.